The next day one hundred and sixty thousand boards were ordered for the barracks at the bridge, also brick and stones for ovens, which all soldiers who were masons were ordered to assist in making.

Meanwhile the inhabitants suffered from the occupation of their farms. Fences were pulled down and burned and corn-fields, gardens and orchards pillaged. The orders of the day pronounced it "cruel as well as unjust and scandalous thus to destroy the inhabitants by destroying the little property for which they have been sweating and toiling through the summer and were expecting very soon to reap the fruits of."

Howe's movement to Throg's Neck caused Washington to call a meeting of general officers at King's Bridge. It was held on the 16th of October, when it was determined to abandon Manhattan Island. On the 19th strong pickets were established and frequent night patrols made through all the region about King's Bridge. On the 20th Washington moved his headquarters to the bridge, where the main army was now in barracks, and continued there until the 22d. During the next few days the army moved off to the heights of the Bronx, leaving garrisons in the forts about King's Bridge under orders to destroy them on the enemy's approach in force. Col. Lasher, in Fort Indei>endence, was "to burn the barracks, quit the post and join the army, by way of the North River, at White rlains." At three in the morning of the 28th the lon^ lines of barracks were fired and the forts abandoned. Their garrisons either withdrew to Fort Washington, or, crossing to New Jersey, rejoined their regiments at White Plains by way of King's Ferry. Gen. Greene, coming out from Fort Washington, found several hundred stand of small arms, great numbers of spears, shot, shells, etc.